“It was easy to see the now and then relationships for labor movements and other issues,” wrote one student.

The students saw the AFL-CIO lobby mosaics, the old CIO headquarters, and Bonus Army and Occupy DC sites. They also heard Garlock, along with Metro Council Political/Legislative Assistant Alya Solomon and Labor Heritage Foundation Executive Director Darryl Moch, outline how unions have contributed to Washington and how they continue to impact worker’s lives.

The Labor Walk helped the students “apply their new understandings in a way that was engaging and helped them connect more deeply with their city and its history,” said teacher Barrie Moorman, “something that students often miss if they are only learning from a textbook.”